Hot topics in August

Fragrances and flavors

PRODUCTION OLAF BORCHARD

PHOTOS REINHARD HUNGER

STYLING ULI DEXHEIMER

How does a scent taste? Forty-year-old Jörg Meyer from the Le Lion Bar in Hamburg elucidates with six very personal interpretations. A good drink is like a great scent, says the well-known barkeeper: in both, the balance of ingredients has to be just right.

“The brown, somewhat heavy scents, especially Tacit by Aesop with its light lemon note, remind me of the drink we call Last Word. For it, we mix green Chartreuse – an herbal liquor – a dash of lime juice, Luxardo Maraschino and gin – and hey presto, you have the perfect flavor accompaniment.”

“For me, this selection of fresh, fruity fragrances, including some with powerful notes, like Waterlily Sun by Aerin, go very well with Gin Basil Smash, our signature drink. It’s the one that put us on the map, as it were. It contains a handful of basil, Dutch Rutte Dry Gin, fresh lemon juice and liquid cane sugar. And it packs quite a punch!”

“Scents in pastels and pinks, very fruity, very sweet. I especially like Pink Molécule by Zarkoperfume. Berries are the dominant fragrance in this composition and immediately made me think of Clover Club, the drink we named for a New York bar. It’s a blend of raspberry liquor – preferably Hegauer Waldhimbeerbrand by Stählemühle – lemon juice, gin, liquid cane sugar and egg white. An understated classic that fits perfectly.”

“Efflora by Odin New York with its herbal, tart and light floral fragrance clouds the senses, makes everything feel muted – just like the drink we named for the David Bowie song Love on Sale. It’s a creation of our own that calls for Vulson Rye – actually a whiskey but fermented like vodka – elderflower, maraschino, lemon juice and vermouth. Unaccustomed and powerful, just like the scent.”